My Better Half

The Truth.

I slam to a stop in the middle of the sidewalk. Walmart. That's where we were going. I promise myself that I'll come back, then I turn and ride the opposite direction. I'm heading for the park. She should be there. She usually is about now. I turn on a side street, and cut some corners, but I'm still late. If that dumb cat hadn't gotten in the way. Oh well, at least she's still here.

"You're late." She comments.

"Sound deduction." I tell her.

"I have no idea what that means." She says. I mentally slap myself. I forgot that she's eight.

"Just take the money and go." I tell her, handing her the five from our mom.

"Under the tree." She says. She grabs the five and runs away. I smile. We used to babysit her. I think. I don't really remember. I look under the tree, and sure enough, there's a little hollowed out hole, with a leather bound journal in it. I open it, and newspaper clippings fall out. Five, to be exact. All about murder. All about bad people. All unsolved. If she ever knew about them, I don't know what I'd do. One was about a rapist, two were about drug dealers, one was about a murderer who had never been caught, and one was about Dad. Yeah, the newspaper said suicide. They all did. But we know better. We know the truth.